Make Sure Your Pets Have a Happy Halloween
Halloween is only four days away, and I am sure that you have had the day’s festivities planned and organized for at least a week. You know what time you are attending your local festival, eating dinner, trick or treating and then ensuring to get home in time for you to make it to your friend’s party. The whole day is strategically laid out for everyone to get the most enjoyment, but have you overlooked your pets role in the day?
More pets are lost on Halloween than they are any other day of the year. And, when you really take a moment to think about this, it makes perfect sense. Your day is filled with one activity after another, and then, come nightfall, your front door stays open more than it is closed. So, make sure you are thoroughly prepared for Halloween by making plans for your pets also. Here are a few great pet safety tips that we got from Georgia Canines for Independence (we also got this adorable photo from GCI)to ensure your pets enjoy the holiday as much as you do:
- For some pets, wearing a costume causes stress. Dressing up should be fun, so if your pet gets anxious, do not force it on him/her.
- Be careful with the candy! Chocolate and candies containing the artificial sweetener xylitol can be very poisonous. If you suspect your pet has ingested a dangerous substance, contact the ASPCA Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.
- A carved pumpkin certainly is festive, but do exercise extreme caution if you choose to add a candle. Pets can easily knock a lit pumpkin over and cause a fire. Keep wires and cords from electric lights and other decorations out of reach of your pets.
- All but the most social dogs and cats should be kept in a separate room away from the front door during peak trick-or-treat visiting hours. Too many strangers can be scary and stressful for some pets.
- When opening the door for trick-or-treaters, take care that your dog or cat doesn’t dart outside.
- ID’s please! Always make sure that your pet has proper identification – it’s the number one thing to do for lost pet prevention. If for any reason your pet escapes and becomes lost, a collar, tags, and/or microchip can increase the chance that he/she will be returned to you.
Read all news from 
mike | Oct 27, 2009 | Reply
These are great suggestions, thanks!
Pet Poison Helpline | Oct 27, 2009 | Reply
Thanks for spreading the word on pet safety! Here’s some more pet-friendly information from Pet Poison Helpline, another animal poison control.
Pet Poison Helpline Offers Halloween Safety Tips for Pets: Advice on “treats” that pets should avoid and other Halloween hazards
Holidays can bring unique foods and materials into the house that pose special threats to animals. Halloween, with its costumes and candy, can be a dangerous and stressful time for a pet.
The following tips showcase what pet owners should watch out for around Halloween.
Tricks, not treats! Some human treats can be deadly for pets
Chocolate: Make sure your kids know to hide their Halloween stash from food-seeking dogs. Ninety-five percent of Pet Poison Helpline’s chocolate calls involve dogs getting into chocolate candy. Keep in mind, the less sweet and the darker the chocolate, the more toxic it is to your pet. Baker’s chocolate and dark chocolate pose the biggest problem.
Other candy: Remember when you felt ill after gorging on too much candy? The same thing can happen to pets. Large ingestions of high-fat, high-sugar foods may lead to a condition called pancreatitis — a painful and potentially fatal inflammation of the pancreas. Signs of pancreatitis typically show up two to four days after ingesting a large high-fat meal. Monitor your pet for a decreased appetite, vomiting, lethargy, diarrhea and other odd behavior.
Raisins/grapes: While small boxes of raisins are popular and healthy treats for people, keep them away from dogs. Even small numbers of raisins or grapes can cause kidney failure in dogs (and possibly cats). Never offer grapes or raisins as snacks for your pets. Choose carrots, peas, green beans or apples instead.
Candy wrappers: Not only is candy toxic to pets, but so are the wrappers. Few animals will bother to unwrap Halloween treats before eating them. Ingestion of foil and cellophane wrappers may cause a bowel obstruction when ingested in large quantities.
Halloween hazards
Glow sticks/jewelry: Pets, especially cats, love to chew on these colorful toys. Though not highly poisonous, the glowing contents can cause pain and irritation in the mouth as well as profuse drooling, nausea and vomiting.
Costumes: While dressing up our pets can be entertaining, keep in mind that your pet may not enjoy it. Make sure the costume does not impair their vision or movement. Also, beware of costumes containing metallic beads, snaps or other small pieces. If ingested, some metals (especially zinc and lead) can result in serious poisoning. Never dye or apply coloring to your pets’ fur. Even if the dye is labeled non-toxic, many are not meant to be ingested and can potentially cause harm.
Additionally, pets may be afraid of people dressed in costumes and may not even recognize those they typically know. Fear can cause animals to act aggressively or in an unpredictable manner. If your pet seems nervous or afraid, make sure to have a safe area for them to hide or take a “time out.”
Candles: Wagging tails and curious noses do not mix with candles. Keep candles well out of reach of four-legged friends and, when possible, use safe, electric lights in jack-o-lanterns.
The best thing any pet owner can do is to be educated about the common foods and items that are potentially toxic to pets. Make sure to avoid accidentally feeding your pets human foods that may be dangerous for them and keep poisonous products out of your pet’s reach. When in doubt or if you think your pet has been poisoned, contact your veterinarian or Pet Poison Helpline immediately at 1-800-213-6680 with any questions or concerns.
Pet Poison Helpline is an additional Animal Poison Control Center, and it’s one of the most cost-effective animal poison ($35/case vs. ASPCA’s new $60/case) controls out there nowadays. Unfortunately, because animal poison controls are not federal- or state-funded, there is a fee to allow the service to be run 24-7. We provide a similar service, but have the added benefit of veterinary specialists (in internal medicine and emergency and critical care) as part of our staff. You can always call 1-800-213-6680 if you ever have a problem. Thanks for spreading the word!
Dr. Justine Lee, DVM, DACVECC
Associate Director of Veterinary Services
http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com
http://www.drjustinelee.com